Senate hopefuls bring divergent backgrounds

Decision 2008

ATLANTA - The three men running for the Senate have all campaigned statewide before, but the surge of new voters means they still might be little known to much of this year's electorate.

Incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss, Democrat Jim Martin and Libertarian Allen Buckley are all middle-age white men, lawyers and political veterans. Chambliss and Martin were even fraternity brothers at the University of Georgia.

Recent polls indicate that the election could be close despite advantages Chambliss should enjoy as an incumbent Republican in a "red state."

Jim Martin

Martin repeatedly had won re-election to a seat from Atlanta in the state House of Representatives when then-Gov. Roy Barnes named his fellow Democrat to lead the troubled state Department of Human Resources. After Sonny Perdue defeated Barnes, he kept on Martin even though the two came from different parties.

During 18 years in the legislature, Martin rose to become chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which reviews legislation dealing with crime and courts. He championed consumer issues and women's rights and earned a reputation as one of the House liberals.

Two years ago, he survived a bruising primary and runoff to become the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. This year, he came out on top in a contentious primary to win the Democratic nomination for Senate. Although opponents describe him as a nice guy, he has been attacking Chambliss since the night of the runoff in news conferences and television ads, seeking to link the senator with President Bush's unpopular policies.

Martin takes a populist approach to many issues, such as supporting universal health care, a tax cut for most Americans and the federal guarantee of individual mortgages rather than a $700 billion bailout of the credit markets.

And, he supports an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

"We cannot continue the Bush Administration's failed Iraq policy - supported unquestioningly by Saxby Chambliss - which has us spending $10 billion each month while there are serious needs here at home," he said. "Only when we leave the people of Iraq to stand on their own two feet will we really be able to start making our economy work for the middle class again and address the rising costs of food and gas."

Saxby Chambliss

As a lawyer in the Southwest Georgia city of Moultrie, Chambliss comes from an economy that revolves around agriculture. When he served eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives and later when in has been in the Senate, he has continued to focus on farm-related issues, even chairing the Agriculture Committee - the only senator since 1947 to head a full standing committee with just two years' service.

His congressional career also has been noted for his attention to national security matters. He chaired the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security during the terrorist attacks in 2001, putting him at the heart of much of Congress' involvement in shaping policy in the War on Terror's early days. He continued that pursuit in the Senate, serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Intelligence Committee.

In the days after news of the credit-market crisis was first announced, Chambliss acknowledged his lack of expertise, adding if it had been a national-security crisis he could have better judged if Congress had been lax in its oversight. Still, he voted for the bailout bill.

"Our country is facing the most serious and critical domestic issue I have dealt with in my 14 years in Congress. We have been betrayed by many people, and greedy Wall Street executives have abused the system, leaving taxpayers to feel the pain," he said.

During the most recent round of military base closure and realignment in 2005, four of Georgia's 13 installations were slated for closure, including the Navy Supply Corps School in Athens. Chambliss said he vigorously tried to defend the bases that were closed, and some critics have blamed him for not succeeding.

This year, he has been at the center of a bipartisan effort in the Senate to find a compromise to overcome objections to allowing offshore oil exploration. He drew jeers from conservatives and members of his own party for the tax increases in the original plan and for removing an issue that Republican presidential nominee John McCain was gaining momentum with by blaming Democrats.

Allen Buckley

Libertarians typically garner such a small share of the vote - 2 percent to 4 percent - that they usually don't have much impact on the outcome. This year might be different with the well-known Bob Barr, a former Georgia GOP congressman, as the party's presidential nominee.

Buckley, who ran for the Senate in 2004 and lieutenant governor two years ago, focuses on economic issues. For example, he rejects Martin's ideas about universal health insurance or any suggestion that health care is a legal right.

He favors allowing offshore drilling for oil if the environment won't be harmed and a combination of tax incentives and financial rewards for the development of cleaner energy with higher taxes for dirtier fuels.

U.S. SENATE

Saxby Chambliss

Age: 64

Residence: Moultrie

Education: Juris doctor, University of Tennessee College of Law; bachelor's degree, University of Georgia; attended Louisiana Tech, 1961-62

Occupation: U.S. Senate

Party: Republican

Political experience: U.S. Senate, 2002-present; U.S. House of Representatives, 1994-2002; Colquitt County Economic Development Authority